1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of Internet accessible product registries. More particularly, this invention relates to a system and method for aggregating and managing multiple registries over the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
The advent of widespread access to the Internet has generated interest in the development of web applications capable of accessing registry databases. Registry databases are collections of registries. Each registry in a registry database describes a registrant, an event, and the items that the registrant would like to acquire in celebration of the event. Registry databases are generally maintained by retailers such as department stores. An event may be, for example, an engagement, wedding, anniversary, birthday, graduation, religious holiday, baby shower, baptism, confirmation, Mother""s day, Father""s day, or other significant event. Further, rather than representing an event, a registry may simply represent the generalized wish list of the registrant.
Internet accessible registry databases have many advantages over registry databases that are exclusively available in the store. First, an Internet accessible registry removes geographic limitations. Trips to the store to purchase registry items or to create a registry are no longer necessary. One simply accesses the registry over the Internet from the convenience of the home or office. The hassle of traffic, waiting in lines, and reliance on sales staff is circumvented. Using an Internet accessible registry, it is possible for a Tuscaloosa Ala. couple to register with a retailer in Manhattan, or for that matter, Venice, Italy. Second, for guests, the purchasers of registration items from a registry, options such as gift routing and wrapping are conveniently handled directly over the Internet. For example, gift wrapping and its concomitant hassles, such as waiting in long gift wrapping lines, is prevented by making such on-line designations. Third, Internet accessible registry databases provide advantages to retailers such as reduction in overhead costs and product exposure to an expanded, geographically unconstrained marketxe2x80x94benefits that may be passed on to the consumer in the form of reduced retail prices.
Retailers that provide registration services over the Internet typically restrict the content of their registry databases to products offered by the individual retailer or, at best, to those of a highly limited number of retail partners. Thus, registrants to major events such as weddings must still register with several different retailers in order to attempt adequate coverage. Often registrants are not satisfied with the scope of their selections even after several different retailer-specific registries have been made. However, the typical registrant does not create more retailer-specific registries because of the burden it places on guests and because of the high degree of maintenance that is required by the registrant to maintain such a large number of registries. Further, existing retailer-specific registries do not offer registrants the option of registering unconventional items such as maid service, cooking lessons, or camping gear.
Even with the introduction of Internet accessible registries, the practice of restricting registry database content produces the unsatisfactory result that guests attempting to buy gifts for registrants must search multiple retailer-specific web sites. Such inconvenience is magnified when the guest does not even know where the registrant is registered. Several retail independent web sites have attempted to address the shortcomings of retailer-specific Internet accessible registry databases. These web sites allow a registrant to build a gift registry that is not retailer-specific. However, while functional, such web sites are unsatisfactory in practice. The registrant must manually enter large amounts of information, such as a product description, price, and possible places that the registry item can be found. Further, there is no method by which a retailer can update the registry when a purchase is made. Rather, such web sites typically require that the guest update the registrants"" web page as gifts are purchased. This has the disadvantage that every guest must use the registrant""s web page and diligently update it. Often, this is simply not possible because some of the guests do not have access to the Internet.
In view of the situation described, what is needed in the art is a system and method for managing a large number of registries in a single uniform environment such that the amount of work required by both the registrants and the guests is minimized and the content of the registries is expanded beyond traditional retail content.
The present invention provides a system and method for aggregating registries. The system and method allows registrants to collect all registries, both custom and retailer-specific, in a single web site. The present invention allows registrants to expand the number of event types for which they create registries. Using the features of the present invention, registries for even the most common events, such as birthdays, are created by registrants and are easily accessed by relatives and friends over the Internet.
In a preferred embodiment, a query from a registrant, which includes an identifier and a search criteria, is received by a server. The identifier is used to select a particular registry database from a plurality of registry databases. The search criteria is used to identify matching registries in the selected registry database. In response to a selection of one of the matching registries, a user identification that uniquely identifies the registrant is associated with the selected registry. As the registrant selects additional registries, an aggregated registry forms that is composed of each registry that has been chosen. Because selected registries are associated with a user identification rather than transferred to a secondary registry database, an aggregated registry typically spans multiple primary registry databases.
In another aspect of the present invention, a query is received from a guest and multiple registry databases are searched. The query typically includes a name of a registrant and an event date. A unique identifier, for each matching registry in any of the multiple registry databases, is then communicated to the guest. When the guest selects one of the unique identifiers, the registry associated with the unique identifier is opened for review. The guest may pick items in the registry for purchase while the registry is open. In a preferred embodiment, the guest may make additional queries. The additional queries may designate different registrants or additional event dates. As with the original query, each registry database is searched for matching registries. Unique identifiers, each representing a matching registry, are communicated to the guest. The guest selects one of the unique identifiers and the corresponding registry is opened. Items selected by the guest from the opened registry are added to an aggregated purchase list that includes all items selected by the guest from previously selected registries.
When the guest has finished making queries and selecting items, a single purchase transaction is performed. The purchase transaction includes the steps of producing a requisition for each registry database provider represented in the aggregated purchase list. Each requisition corresponds to a particular registry database provider and includes each item in the purchase list that originated from a particular registry database supported by the corresponding registry database provider. Then, using a credit and/or debit system, such as a credit card associated with the guest, an electronic purchase transaction is executed for each requisition.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a registrant may log onto a server. During the log in process, a unique user identifier is obtained from the user profile of the registrant. The user identifier is used to generate an aggregated registry that includes each registry in a multitude of registry databases. Once the registrant selects one of the registries in the aggregated registry, management of the registry over the Internet is possible. On-line management typically includes adding/deleting items from the registry, reviewing the registry purchase order history, altering an item order quantity in the registry, identifying a party that has made an order using the registry; and/or sending a message to a party that has made an order using said registry.
In yet another preferred embodiment, registry database providers may access their registry databases from a server to review/update registry databases with in store activity, revise on-line catalogs of products, and review registry orders. However, even when registry database providers update their respective registry databases, aggregated registries, i.e. the associations between user identifications and registries, are preserved.